Multi-chip devices can be fabricated faster and more cheaply than a corresponding single integrated circuit, which incorporates the same or different functions. Current multi-chip module construction typically consists of a printed circuit board substrate to which a series of separate components are directly attached. This technology is advantageous because of the increase in circuit density achieved. With increased density comes improvement in signal propagation speed and overall device weight required for the consumer electronics application, such as in cellular phones, and personal digital assistance (PDA). While integrated circuit density increases at a significant rate, the interconnection density has become a significant limiting factor in the quest for miniaturization. Key features that are required in the minimization are high density circuit packing, low cost, reliable interconnect methodology and small package profiles.
Multi-chip modules (MCM), chip scale packages (CSP), or package-in-package (PIP) usually use the wire bonding method or solder bump flip-chip method. Wire bonding increases the overall package thickness, width, area, and footprint. Solder bump flip-chip bonding is subject to integrated circuit damage problems and cannot form stacked integrated circuit packages.
Thus, a need still remains for an integrated circuit package to reduce the package size, prevent integrated circuit damage, and stud bump deformation as well as allow multi-stack flip-chip packages. In view of the ever-increasing need to save costs and improve efficiencies, it is more and more critical that answers be found to these problems.
Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.